Pinehurst

If you know golf then you know Pinehurst.  This historic golf resort is known world wide.  The first golf course was built there in the late 1800s and the first championship tournament was played in 1901. The resort now has 8 golf courses and in 2014 both the men's and women's U.S. Open will be played there.

On our visit here we went very casual.  After having our fancier, romantic dinner the night before in Southern Pines we went for pizza at Pinehurst Pizza www.pinehurstpizza.com  The large family friendly restaurant has pool tables, video games and personal TV's at the tables.  We split a large salad .... it was very large! And an 18" Margherita Pizza.  It took a while to get our pizza .... all pizzas are made to order.  It was a really tasty pizza that was worth the wait with fresh tomatoes and basil right from the garden.  The 2 of us could not finish it.  And best of all a nice pour of Pinot Grigio in a real wine glass for only $5!

Next we went to the Carolina Hotel.  www.pinehurst.com This is the grandest of the accommodations at the resort.  We found two rocking chairs on the porch and chilled with a glasses of wine.  A guitar player entertained us and the other guests.  However the price of my glass of Pinot Grigio was $13.75.  You definitely have to pay a bit more but it's worth it to be in this beautiful setting.

Nearby there is a village area of shops and restaurants.  Other Inns are located here as well.  We wandered around a bit then went into one of the many pubs for one more drink and more live music.  Golf is on the TVs wherever you go.  Tiger Woods was decisively ahead in this weekend's Bridgestone Invitational.

Pinehurst is 5 stars all the way.  Every detail is seen to in this luxurious historic resort.

Robbins Farmers Day

Saturday morning started a bit overcast but proved to be a beautiful day.  My husband and I got an early start driving from Southern Pines the 20 minutes to Robbins, North Carolina.  The town was celebrating it's 58th Annual Farmers Day.  The downtown streets were filled with carnival rides, games, food and craft vendors.  I fell in love with the jewelry made by a Kernersville woman named Rosa.  She called her line Rusty and Distressed Designs by Rosa.  Check out her website ... really beautiful copper jewelry all handcrafted.  www.rustydistresseddesigns.com Very reasonably priced too. She sells her pieces on Etsy as well.

There was also a parade but instead of the typical line up of beauty queens in convertibles and high school bands it was a parade of horses ... horse and buggies decorated, riders dressed in their finest western shirts and children looking adorable atop ponies.  

We decided to bypass the Bloomin' Onions, funnel cakes and fried candy bars and instead went for a healthy lunch at Eden's Garden.  This Vegan friendly, all organic restaurant frankly seems a bit out of place in downtown Robbins.  The menu selections change daily.  Everything was delicious and so fresh and flavorful.

On our way out of Robbins we travelled "Pottery Road" NC Highway 705.  Many potters live, work and show their wares along this route.  We stopped at several places and even though they said they were open on Saturdays no one was there.  I guess they were all at the Farmers Day celebration!  We did meet these friendly fellows though.

Robbins is a down-home, rustic, nothing fancy kind of town with a few interesting exceptions.  In Pinehurst it's golf shirts and loafers, in Robbins it's overalls and t-shirts and yet at one "thrift shop" they had some of the most beautiful antique furniture pieces I had ever seen in one place. Definitely an interesting town to check out. 

Southern Pines

From Aberdeen we drove next to the town of Southern Pines.  We checked in to our hotel, a nothing fancy chain hotel.  No sense in going into great detail about our accommodations ... a bed, a TV and a shower is all we needed for this trip.   There are several chain hotels in Southern Pines from which to choose.   If you are looking for something more special there are beautiful inns in Pinehurst as well as the Pinehurst resort itself.

The village of Southern Pines is filled with shops, bars and restaurants.  There is really something for everyone here.  I especially love the shopping.  Many of the stores carry original art and crafts from local artists.  On this night we lucked out ... Southern Pines was holding it's "First Friday" event.  www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com  The streets were blocked off, the shops remained open and artists and musicians were showing off their talents outside.  On the main stage the band Desert Noises from Provo, Utah played.  www.desertnoisesmusic.com You could buy beer and wine and walk around with it as well.  We set up our chairs in front of the stage and settled in for a great night of music.

The First Friday event ended at 8:30 pm so we wandered down the way to find a spot for a late dinner.  We settled on Wolcott's Restaurant www.wolcottsrestaurant.com  It's a very romantic, intimate place to dine. I had the most delicious salmon with sweet potatoes and golden raisins and I'm not sure what else.  The mix of flavors was divine and the fish was cooked to perfection.  My husband had the lobster bisque and a salad.  He was equally pleased.

Many of the bars had live music.  We sat a bit at one spot and had one final cocktail before calling it an evening.

Day or night you can find plenty to do on Broad Street, the main drag of Southern Pines.  

Starting our Weekend Getaway in Aberdeen

With our son away visiting his grandmother for a week it was time for my husband and I to do more than just a day trip.  We needed a romantic weekend just the two of us!  Not wanting to spend too much of our valuable time driving we chose the Pinehurst area, best known as a golfing resort and only a 90 mile drive from our home.  We started our adventure in the tiny town of Aberdeen.  Arriving there around lunch time we went first to the Railhouse Brewery www.railhousebrew.com.  It's the kind of place where your eyes have to adjust to the dark when you walk in on a sunny day.  Once I could see I was happy to focus on a  restaurant/bar with a casual and cool vibe.  We sat at the bar and had a great lunch ... my husband had the Rueben and I had a salad with grilled chicken and of course beer!  We chatted with the others at the bar.  It was a very friendly and welcoming place.

After lunch we walked around town.  There are several high end home decor shops here which took me by surprise.  My husband decided to go into the barber shop for a trim while I slipped into some of the stores.

From there we drove a couple of miles to historic Bethesda Church and Cemetery on Route 5.  Some of the graves date as far back as the late 1700s.  The exterior of the church has bullet holes from the Civil War.

If you are spending any time in Pinehurst it's worth the 10 minute drive to Aberdeen.  It's a small town with history and charm.